Second Chance
by Yusagi
Summary: UPDATE CH7!Crim and Sub pay a visit to Sora..Ten years after .hack, Mimiru and Sora remeet eachother, Tsukasa has long ago logged out, and died tragically, now Mimiru seeks refuge in the world that once held her beloved, and the virus that killed him
1. Memory

AN: My stories follow another time line(unless otherwise noted) where the when the PCs die, so  
  
do their RL counterparts....a side effect of battling the virus so long.... Usually they can still be  
  
revived, so long as they are in a party.....unless fighting Innis, Magus, Skeith, etc...  
  
Usually they can feel, too, but that is explained individually in each fiction...One more thing :  
  
Tsukasa's always a boy unless other wise noted.  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: Memory  
  
The young Heavyblade smiled softly, as she looked across the wide expanse of Mac Anu, So  
  
much had changed now, the game was so closely monitored after that virus scare....but Mac Anu  
  
weathered all changes.... It was no longer considered to be on the 'newbie' server.....this was the  
  
'historical' server.  
  
The streets were always nearly abandoned, the golden ship of the Crimson Knights, long ago put  
  
to rest, and their castle open to tourists.  
  
And yet .... she could still hear the whisper on the wind, the faint echo of his sad  
  
laugh....Tsukasa.  
  
Her nostalgic smile faded into an unhappy frown, as her lower lip trembled slightly, and a lone  
  
tear ran down her tanned cheek.  
  
Lonely, just like she had been, ever since.....  
  
Why? Why didn't she listen to reason?! When his cough grew worse, despite his protests that it  
  
was a simple cold....Why did she listen to him???  
  
" Because you were love-blind....admit it girl...." She whispered to herself, " You were weak,  
  
and love-blind... and because of you ..... Yasa...."  
  
Overwhelmed by a wave a grief, she sank to her knees and wept.  
  
Ten years....Ten....long...years had passed...  
  
For the first six, the years had passed in a blur of ecstacy, heaven, nirvana, what ever you wished  
  
to call it, to Mimiru, it had been perfection, the only thing she had desired...to be with her  
  
beloved Tsukasa, or Yasamuri, not that she ever called him that...those blissful days seemed like  
  
only an instant, compared to the eternity of torment and pain that followed....... He'd  
  
seemed....so pale....He had never fully recovered from his extended period in a coma, but he had  
  
always continued on, smiling that heavenly smile her way, never crying, or complaining about  
  
the pain he felt inside, from injuries sustained from the improper care at the hospital....  
  
First....there were the coughs....at first she'd dismissed them as nothing, but then, they  
  
intensified, wracking his entire body, as he wheezed for breath....coughing up blood.....He was  
  
always so tired, refusing to eat often, or even drink.....All the while, she had remained so  
  
oblivious, trusting his claims that it would all pass soon....  
  
" And I.....lied to myself... pretending he was right....." She whimpered, " Pretending we would  
  
have the money to go to ER if he were ACTUALLY sick....as if nothing was out of the scheme I  
  
wanted my perfect world to be......And he pretended right with me...."  
  
One night, He smiled at her, kissing her goodnight.  
  
" You...took off your ring?" He whispered hoarsely, all he could ever manage lately was a  
  
whisper.  
  
" Tsuk....do you expect me to wear it to bed??" She laughed, gently running her hand along his  
  
sunken cheek.  
  
" I....do..." he coughed, showing her the golden band on his right ring-finger, and looking at her  
  
expectantly. His lavender eyes looked the same in real life, as his counterpart's did, in The World  
  
".....Alright, you big crybaby!" She laughed, sliding on her slim, golden band on her finger, "  
  
Happy now?"  
  
He smiled softly, weakly, and leaned in, whispering 4 words....4 words that would echo in her  
  
ears, and haunt her in the long years of loneliness that followed.  
  
" I love you, Sakura ."  
  
She smiled back, and whispered, " I love you, too." Then she curled up in her beloved husband's  
  
arms, and fell asleep, unaware at the time, of his silent tears.  
  
" Why did I sleep? Why didn't he tell me?..." Mimiru sobbed, " I would have stayed there with  
  
you to the end, Tsukasa..."  
  
' You were there....as I wanted.....' She thought she heard him whisper, as a soft breeze blew by  
  
her hot cheeks, sticky with tears.  
  
Startled, she looked around, but no one was around, not even the usual Newbies, who gawked,  
  
and pointed at her old-style, revealing clothes.  
  
" Tsukasa...?....Am I going mad?..." She whispered, half to the digitalized wind, half to herself.  
  
" Oh, I wish you were here ro answer me, Bear..." She whispered, but she knew it was just as  
  
likely he'd appear, and smile down at her, squatting down to listen to her problems, like he used  
  
to....as it was her Beloved, Tsukasa, would run up to her, and tell her everything was okay, that  
  
she had imagined the years of grief, and loneliness.  
  
'Bear' had died two years ago, at the age of 54, from complications from cancer.  
  
BT...she had quit playing The World soon after the quest for the Key, with the sole exception of  
  
Tsukasa's funeral....Having to see, and hear about Crim and Subaru each day, had become too  
  
much for her, and Mimiru had neither seen, nor heard of BT, or her player since the funeral, but  
  
then, other than Bear, she hadn't seen much of anyone since Tsuk had died.  
  
Crim and Subaru....They quit not too long ago, themselves, so she had heard, the constant  
  
changes of The World and the constant unpleasant, or nostalgic memories called up by familiar  
  
territory had been too much for them, as well.  
  
They had married, so she had heard from Subaru, before Tsukasa had died, before she had shut  
  
herself off from the real world, hiding in this one, pretending she could find Tsukasa, were she to  
  
look hard enough. She had also heard, on the news, an announcement, that the president of a big  
  
corporation....Crim's real life counterpart, had just had his third child....  
  
Children.....  
  
Mimiru touched her stomach, where her womb would be, were this not a digital world... She had  
  
no children, Tsukasa was unable to produce children, from a lingering wound from his comatose  
  
state.  
  
The only one she didn't know about, was Sora....  
  
After the search for the Key, the two of them had went their separate, only glancing at one  
  
another at Tsukasa's funeral.  
  
" I wouldn't be the least surprised if he still played....that rascal!" She laughed, yet, despite the  
  
insult she had directed towards him, she did wish she could find him....even him....just someone  
  
from her past....before her world had plunged into darkness, before her light had been  
  
quenched...  
  
And if there was ANYONE still alive that could reawaken her old self, if only Mimiru's  
  
impatience,  
  
or maybe even.... perhaps, just perhaps, teach her how to laugh again, it would be good ol'  
  
Sora....  
  
Delta Hideous passionate Nothingness.  
  
The keyword....where Sora had always met up with her...but the word 'Nothingness; was in  
  
it...only those with the pass-card could access it anymore...  
  
" Luckily....I am a great pickpocket!" Mimiru laughed, and turned to the, now archaic, Chaos  
  
gate.  
  
Smiling, she manually input the keywords, so different than the annoying ' spout random  
  
numbers!!' that the modern servers were all about.  
  
The console 'beeped', requiring the keycard, and she swiped the card through the blue 'sea' of  
  
the gate.  
  
Beautiful, golden, rings encircled her, as the old teleportation method, so unlike the 'happy'  
  
bubbles of other servers, took her to the dark, abandoned zone.  
  
Giant toadstools towered above, the huge, yellow moon setting behind a lone cliff in the  
  
distance, and a steady rain poured down.  
  
Foreboding. That was the word that came to her, it was no wonder the system management  
  
disallowed new players to explore the 'old world'....With all the sickeningly 'happy' and 'bright'  
  
designs of the other servers, a newbie would likely have a heart attack, were they to 'warp' into  
  
this place.  
  
Carefully, she climbed up to the top of a familiar cliff, and surveyed the area....no movement  
  
registered to her eyes in the dense rock formations below, and no 'Boing!' was there to greet  
  
her....Sora, too, had quit.....perhaps they all had to grow up someday, and love....except, only she  
  
had to lose....  
  
She turned to leave, when, silhouetted by the artificial moon, a man ringed in.  
  
  
  
There it is!! The first chapter?? What do you think? Nostalgic? Too sad? Corny??  
  
Review!!  
  
BTW:...I was going to be soooo mean to her in this book..( Not that I don't like her..just  
  
the opposite..) But as I was writing this chapter, and contemplating the others, I decided  
  
to be merciful....I'm not saying how, though.  
  
SO! This is probably a 5 chapter book at most, unless you can convince me other wise!!  
  
Oh, And I'll add one of you in my book, if you like, though you won't appear until at  
  
least Chapter 3....  
  
Just E-mail me, filling out this form, and you can frolick in .hack, too!  
  
Name: (in book RL)  
  
Char's Name:  
  
Class:  
  
Gender( it's assumed your char is same gender as its char:  
  
Tattoos( every char has 'em):  
  
Newbie or Oldie ( from the early World, or the new one):  
  
Alignment:( Lawful Neutral, Chaotic/Good neutral evil):  
  
Attitude( Is you char like Crim, or more like Tsukasa?):  
  
Misc. Info ( anything special I should know about him/her/it):  
  
Get writing!   
  
~Yusagi 


	2. Reunion

AN: Chapter two...hehe, I lke tis one for some reason.  
  
Disclaimer: this is so boring I forgot it last time, didn't i?  
  
I DONT OWN .HACK or Tsukasa would be a boy...'nuff said.  
  
AN: No offence meant to crim/subaru fans, but I really feel for BT for some odd reason.... If you think Bear is OOC in memories...TOO BAD!! lol  
  
He is patterned after my lat 'papa' who died just last May...but, any ways, I try to keep him in charecter in any flashbacks, you know?  
  
PS: How long til you figure out who this guy is??  
  
........  
  
Winners of the first OCs, are Aplha and Dark_century, look for them in Chap. 3!!  
  
........  
  
Well read It allready!! And Reveiw!  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 2: The reunion  
  
A 19 year old man sighed, as he leaned back in his chair, contemplating.  
  
How long had it been since he'd played?  
  
Four years....Since Tsukasa's funeral... He'd remembered seeing Mimiru...Sakura?...Crying, They had held it in 'The World' Where she had said his heart had always laid.  
  
Bear had been there, consoling Mimiru and BT, who had seemed so weak and hollow....Crim and Subaru had been there, too, hands entwined with eachother, Crim whispering things to her every once in a while.  
  
The two had looked like fine fools.  
  
He had wanted to say something to Mimiru, do ANYTHING to still her tears, but there had been nothing he could do... and he had known it... He had always...liked her, and as he had grown, and dwelled on it, it had developed into more...She had been the only girl unafraid, who didn't outright ignore him, or act annoying like BT, or that hacker.  
  
Yet, Mimiru...had always liked Tsukasa, Sora had known from the start, when he'd rescued Tsukasa from the Knights...  
  
Mimiru had once asked Sora about 'real life', as a gesture of good will, but he'd been too embarrassed to say.  
  
At the time, he had been only 9 years old, and his 'real' name???...He had USED his real name for his charecter....She'd been so offended....She ran off in such a huff, and rarely spoken to him since.  
  
And yet, he watched her still, protecting her when Tsukasa could not, until the funeral....  
  
Mimiru hadn't logged on since, that he knew of, but then, he rarely did, either.  
  
His blissful jumping and PKing had seemed so hollow, with his friends all dead, or gone...Bear... 'I still miss you, old boy.'  
  
Bear had been like a father to him, but, he was like that to everyone he knew....  
  
Four years, and now his mother sent him this?  
  
He picked up the 'Wonder Goggles 3k3'....It promised a truly immersive experience, sight, smell, sound...touch...  
  
Was it time to dust off the old blades again? To, once more, pick up the mantle of the carefree, slightly eccentric, Player Killer?  
  
He smiled slightly, perhaps this would be good for him.  
  
He still had that program, didn't he?  
  
Grunting, he stood up, and walked to his old computer, shuffling through his old CDs....There it was...he knocked the dust off the bright case, and felt a stab of nostalgia...he had been so excited when he first got this game, little did he know what he was getting into...  
  
Grudgingly, he sat at his CPU, and plugged in the VR set, booting up his computer.  
  
Quickly, he plopped the old CD in, and watched in wonder, as the old game spun onto the screen. The Silly Banjo music he'd once so loved, played happily, and the picture that greeted him was of Mimiru and Tsukasa smiling, Mimiru playfully 'strangiling' Tsukasa, and Tsukasa waving at the camera happily, His mouth forever frozen in a laugh.  
  
To Sora's surprise, bitter tears stung his own eyes, as he remembered taking the picture...it had been during the celebration of their wedding in 'The World'  
  
Quickly, he regained control, and pressed 'login'  
  
To his surprise, a sword scrolled down the side of the screen,emblazened with the words 'Key of Twighlight'  
  
He laughed bitterly, they had no idea what that 'key' was...or the sorrow it caused.  
  
Cooly, he slipped the VR over his head, and re-entered 'The World'  
  
Instantly, Golden rings surrounded him, as he appeared on the dark, forbidding cliffside he had known so well.  
  
The huge, yellow, moon shone in his eyes a moment, as he looked around, this was where he'd teased BT about Tsukasa once...just below was where he had 'convinced' Mimiru to let him join in on the quest for the 'Key of Twilight'...  
  
"....Sora?!" Came a familiar voice from behind him.  
  
Quickly, he spun around, with the quickness his charecter's body held, and to his surprise, his eyes fell upon a familiar sight.  
  
" Mimiru! What are YOU doing HERE?!" He gasped...amazing how simmalier his charecter's voice was to his own..  
  
The beautiful Heavy Blade simled slightly, and said, " Actually, I was looking for you...wanna go on a dungeon adventure..On this server I mean, I hate the other ones."  
  
" Uh-huh, me too." He smirked, amazing how easily one slipped back into the old attitudes, " But I'll need your member address."  
  
" Oh no, I'M going to be party leader."  
  
" Nuh-uh! It's me all the way!" He teased.  
  
Mimiru smiled at him, hmmm, that had been only the second time she'd done that....' On the same day, too...I'm on a roll!'  
  
He barely held back a laugh at the absurdity of that idle thought, Sora was back in business, it seemed.  
  
" Let's settle this with a duel, then!" Mimiru challenged, yet her voice did not hold the cruelty she once did.  
  
" Oh? But I though PvPing was disallowed??" He asked, his voice in his old, sing-songy teasing one.  
  
" Who's here to stop us?? We're just a bunch of Old Fogies, anyway!"  
  
" Oh? I take offence! Draw your sword!" He challenged, then, Mimiru did something he'd never seen before, she laughed, not cruelly, or bitterly, but out of pure amusement and pleasure, with him!  
  
Then in an instant, she drew her blade, and he leapt at the oncoming sword, catching it in the air with his twin blades.  
  
And so, the two dueled, finally, for the first time, they interacted with eachother without actually 'trying' to kill each other.  
  
And Sora loved ever second of it.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
There it is! BTW Im a big, fat, liar......This book will probably be pretty long, as I have all sorts of ideas for them!!!  
  
Had more to say....but for got...  
  
Oh yeah..for future OCs  
  
Country(where their RL counter parts live....accent and all that, don't want a German talking about Shimokatazawa....Is that how you spell it??):  
  
Appearance ( Optional, but believe me, you want to answer this one):   
  
~Yusagi 


	3. Party!

Disclaimer: Not mine  
  
AN: Here it is... Some people seem to be forgetting that this is 10 years after .hack.... Sora is 19  
  
in this book. Thanks!  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter 3: Party  
  
The two of them rolled across the cliff side, their childlike glee egging them on, as they let out  
  
their frustration and stress on the opposing characters, though for the first time, neither of them  
  
held any malice for the other.  
  
They paused in thier mad rolling at the edge of a cliff, Sora couldn't help but smirk at the position  
  
they were in, he had her arms pinned above her head and her legs were splayed out on either side  
  
of his. Were this any other girl, he might have been tempted to take advantage of this position,  
  
but never Mimiru.  
  
" I win, now kindly give me your member address...or....else...."  
  
" Never!" She hissed, trying to break his grip, but, to put it bluntly, her stats were really crappy  
  
next to his, and it took no effort to keep her pinned.  
  
He leaned in, and gently nibbled on her earlobe a moment, sending shivers through her, then said,  
  
" I don't want to lower myself to make you say uncle...."  
  
"Sora!" Mimiru growled, " Oh fine, let go and I'll do it.."  
  
" That a girl!" He laughed, sitting up, and letting her stand, carefully making sure she didn't  
  
make a break for it.  
  
Mimiru noticed his caution obviously, but seemed unconcerned by it.  
  
She turned and clicked something on her weapon, and her address was instantly transferred to  
  
him....after years of waiting...finally.  
  
He smirked his usual smirk, to hide the genuine smile behind it, and stood up, brushing off his  
  
knees, and bowing slightly, managing to keep his disrespectful demeanor as a facade over his  
  
joyful thoughts bubbling up.  
  
' To think, all these years.....and it really wasn't that tough to get it!! And now....We--just the two  
  
of us! Will be adventuring!!'  
  
" Then let the games begin!" he laughed, and leapt off the cliff, warping to a random dungeon.  
  
************************  
  
" How could I.....have been so tempted by him?" Mimiru thought to herself in desperation, ' It's  
  
those bloody WonderGoggles fault!!'  
  
" Mimiru?" Sora said suddenly.  
  
" Huh?" She said, snapping back to reality, " What?"  
  
" Oh, where you here? Or away from the console?"  
  
" Oh, sorry.....I was just spacing...." She laughed nervously.  
  
" Well...let's try to focus....or we can't beat the dungeon!" Sora said, smiling goofily at her.  
  
" Uhh...which was it again?"  
  
" Mimiru...!" He clicked, though his annoyance was feigned, " Delta, Hidden Pagan Twin Hills."  
  
" Tsh... THAT's awfully low level!!"  
  
He shrugged nonchalantly, and said, " Well...we old timers need warm ups..."  
  
" Haha, what ever you say!" She laughed, old timers indeed!  
  
As she looked around at the stormy area, she shivered at the icy-cold rain sliding down her back,  
  
and yet, the biting cold breeze carried with it the scent of adventure....perhaps this would be good  
  
for her after all...  
  
She couldn't help but smile at the dark, rainy plains, for once....this game did not induce painful  
  
memories in her....  
  
**********  
  
Sora looked over at the beautiful heavy-blade, she was leaning against a flesh wall, panting  
  
heavily as she rested up from her last battle.  
  
Man he was rusty at this stuff these days!!!  
  
" Ready to go on yet?" He asked, scrounging up his usual chirpy voice.  
  
Mimiru sighed, and looked over at him, " Yeah...Why not?"  
  
This was already the 3rd floor, so he doubted there was much more to see . . . . . then . . . finally. .  
  
. . rest . . . .  
  
He couldn't help but laugh.  
  
Soon, they came upon another monster portal, it was made up of several spinning rings, and a  
  
glowing light emanated from the center of it, which exploded in a low whine.  
  
There it stood, a headhunter, Sora had always gotten a kick out of that name when he was  
  
younger, being as they were basically just stone golems missing only their heads....thus it's  
  
name....so it was always searching for it's head, or anyone's elses.....so the monster bio said.  
  
" Awright!! Let's rock!!" Mimiru exclaimed happily.  
  
" Yes, please do!"  
  
The lumbering giant tried to clumsily swing at Sora, but he deftly dodged it, leaping agilely at the  
  
opposite wall, and bouncing off, blades drawn.  
  
The giant's errant swing connected solidly with the wall, it's fist sinking slightly into the fleshy  
  
substance, but it did not appear to do any damage to the terrain.  
  
The giant did not get a chance to swing again, as both Sora's and Mimiru's attacks connected  
  
from either side, slicing the golem into thirds.  
  
" Oooh yeah!" Mimiru cheered, pumping her first into the air triumphantly.  
  
Sora smirked softly at her, admiring her spirit, then, without warning, bolted into the next room.  
  
His emerald eyes lit up at what lay in the next room.  
  
******************  
  
" Oooh! The Ziet statue!! I TOLD you we were almost there!" Sora announced from ahead of  
  
Mimiru.  
  
" About time!!" She sighed, still slightly irritated at the length of the dungeon, it had been hours  
  
in the finishing!  
  
" Easy dungeon my FOOT!" she grumbled to herself, shaking her head.  
  
" OOOhhh! And look what's in it!!" His voice chimed from ahead.  
  
Hurredly, she ran up to the treasure chest, knowing Sora would try to hog everything there, given  
  
a chance, and peered into the gilded box Sora was leaning over.  
  
Inside lay a beautifully crafted Silver Scarab, A mouth-watering, delicious-looking, Yellow  
  
Candy, and a brilliantly colored Rainbow Card.  
  
" Dibs on the Scarab! Dibs on the Scarab!!" He cheered, snagging it deftly from the chest.  
  
" Grr, Your so childish!" She pouted, hurting from the loss of the Scarab....she could have made  
  
some really good trades with that!!  
  
" Aww, You can have the rest!" He sad enthusiastically, obviously that had been all he'd wanted,  
  
either.  
  
" And who exactly are you two?" Came a feminine voice from behind them, " Few people swing  
  
by my dungeon anymore, and even less have the patience to finish it."  
  
Caught off-guard, Mimiru jumped, and spun around to face her new opponent, only slightly  
  
slower than Sora.  
  
Standing in a cocky posture in the middle of the doorway, their only escape, was a strange-  
  
looking woman, she had long, blue, slash-like tattoos on her cheeks, running diagonally across  
  
her face from just below her eyes, to the corner's of her smirking lips. She had large, auburn  
  
eyes, and she was holding a red-streaked wand, most likely a Blaze wand, but Mimiru might have  
  
been mistaken, one flame wand was pretty much like another to her.  
  
But, the outfit she wore was made extremely strange by her obvious class: She wore a long,  
  
midnight blue skirt, that fell to just below her knees, and her sky-blue tube-top like shirt had  
  
steps that seemed to circle around her neck, leaving a large amount of cleavage showing, but  
  
even that outrageous suit could be overlooked, if not for the heavy-looking blue bracers  
  
encircling the woman's forearm. Mimiru would've swore she looked like a heavy blade, if not  
  
for the wand the woman hefted in a very experienced manner.  
  
" And who are YOU?" Sora asked, sounding quite intrigued at the appearance of this strange new  
  
Player Character.  
  
" The name's Alpha, I'm a level 60 Wavemaster, from that golden time Waaay back when." She  
  
said confidently, pointing her thumb to herself, and nodding, before adding, " And the two of you  
  
appear to be from that prehistoric time when the CRIMSON KNIGHTS were still in power!!"  
  
Mimiru couldn't help but scowl at the girl's teasing tone, she made it sound like they were  
  
fossils!!  
  
" Ah...Now I know you...you must be that silly wavemaster that every one used to talk about,  
  
trying to figure out how you got such an ABSURD model!" Sora commented lightly.  
  
" Guilty." She said sheepishly, then smiled broadly before saying, " Okay! Since you guys bested  
  
my dungeon, I'll give you my Member Address, and we can group sometime!"  
  
With that, she clicked her weapon, and ran off down the hall.  
  
"Hmm....But I didn't get the address..." Mimiru mused, confused.  
  
" Oh, But I did!!" Sora chirped, smirking devilishly.  
  
Figures.  
  
" I guess I am still a ladies man, huh?" Sora laughed, tauntingly.  
  
" Get your head outta the clouds Sora, You used to have to threaten girls with PKing, to get their  
  
address'!!"  
  
" Ah. So true. And yet I believe BT was the most fun." Sora smiled, then stretched, and  
  
announced, " Well! I'm pooped! I think I'll log out, nice groupin' with ya!"  
  
" Yeah, You-" Mimiru started, but he waved and gated out first, "...too..."  
  
**********  
  
Sora sighed contentedly as he took of his new Wonder Goggles, perhaps playing the world WAS  
  
just what the doctor ordered!! With that, he turned off his Computer, and walked out of the room.  
  
****  
  
Mimiru sighed as she took a final glance at the city of Mac Anu, at least today had been an  
  
escape from the pain that constantly haunted her, from the ghosts of her past....  
  
Sora tended to do that to a person though, distract you from everything going on but what he  
  
wanted you to see....or was it just that he could do that to HER?  
  
" Hey! Aren't you that legendary player that was a partner with that Wavemaster, Tsukasa?"  
  
Came a woman's voice from behind her.  
  
Mimiru flinched at the name of her beloved, why couldn't this world allow her to forget, just for  
  
a while?  
  
" Who are you?" Mimiru asked, turning to look at the girl.  
  
She was a tall, tanned woman, with a short blue -hemmed, red skirt, making it barely to her  
  
thighs, and a tight red shirt, wrapping around her torso and shoulders, partially covered with a  
  
sailor-like collar, hiding most of her shoulders, as if in mock-modesty. Her hair was a brilliant  
  
sapphire, and shoulder-length, curving slightly upwards at the tips, as if afraid to brush her  
  
shoulders, and her deep brown eyes seemed empty, devoid of intelligence. But Player Character's  
  
in 'The World' rarely reflected upon their creator's intellect.  
  
" You can call me Dark_Century!!" She chirped.  
  
Oh, so she had an UNDERSCORE in her name, too?  
  
" What do you want? Can't you tell I'm logging?" Mimiru said irritably, Sora was probably  
  
relaxing on his couch, drinking coffee by now!....Not that Mimiru had anything but an empty  
  
house and silent, taunting ghosts to return to, anyway....  
  
" I just want to be able to group with some one as awesome as you!" She smiled, " SO, here is  
  
my member address! Ciao!"  
  
The girl clicked her thin bracelet, and ran off.  
  
Mimiru sighed, but couldn't help the small smirk that played across her face, " Looks like it's 1-  
  
1...Sora."  
  
****************  
  
A young woman watched in silence the two girls talking at the Chaos gate, from a rooftop above.  
  
Her long black hair fell slightly into her face, but she did not bother to brush it away, she smirked  
  
softly and stood up silently, running along the rooftops of the abandoned city, her lithe form  
  
causing no sounds as she landed lightly in a dark alley, and walked casually out.  
  
Soon, it would all begin....oh yes, soon....  
  
______________________________________________________________________________  
  
AN: And we find ourselves at another end.  
  
Stings doesn't it ? ^.^  
  
So, a couple of added things about the OC generator...  
  
For Newbies:  
  
the 'new' classes are:  
  
Ranger ( medium only class that can wield two types of weapons, both a sword and a long bow)  
  
Cleric ( exactly like a Wavemaster, except that she ( that is the usual gender of the class) weilds a  
  
war hammer, and can only use a limited amount of attack spells, concentrating instead on  
  
healing)  
  
Beast Tamer ( heavy, uses whip, can summon creature to aid him, works just like a D&D  
  
familiar, except no harm comes to the owner if beast dies.)  
  
Bowman ( light, uses Bow/crossbow)  
  
I can't think of any others.....^.^''  
  
Notes about 'Key'  
  
The 'bracelet' is off-limits, but you CAN instead have one of these for your char( first come, first  
  
serve) These ALL have data drain, and the date-protect that the bracelet gives  
  
Tsukasa's Guardian (only 1) Powers: Gate Hack, Must be a Wavemaster/Cleric to use, has a  
  
personality of it's own.  
  
Morganna's "guardians" (several) Powers: identical to tsukasa's, except all classes can use, and it  
  
is weaker than Tsuk's, it is also a diff. Color ( note: Tsuk guardian is not defeatable, but this is)  
  
"Key"...the sword you see on the title,(1) ( only blade-users, no Twin Blades, a wavemaster may  
  
use the power to unlock, but other than that, no.) Powers: Unlock doors, will kill a Data Bug in  
  
one slash.  
  
Important Note: The wielder of Tsuk Guardian cannot log out.  
  
OK....  
  
Now for my schedule:  
  
Second Chance CH3(done)  
  
Fate CH.5  
  
AlonePT2 ( ok, here's the deal, you give me the title for this, I give you credit, you give me  
  
inspiration for title, I give you partial credit, you give me insp. For an entire PLOTLINE....for any  
  
fic, I email you and say thanks, and of course, credit you in the actual fic...So hurry up and give  
  
me the name for this title, I can't write it till I have it!)  
  
Some FF7 poems probably  
  
After that...who knows?  
  
~Yusagi 


	4. Alliance

Disclaimer: Oh-ho-ho! You think I own Bandai! Then I would be rolling in dough, friends...quit dreaming. Please. Thanks. 

AN: Next chapter! After I do this, It's time for Torment, Chapter 2! Oh yeah...Sorry if this chapter is TOO dramatic, but I felt the book was losing it's 'angst' feel, and that shouldn't be yet...O.O Oops! Did I give something away!

Gratz and thanks to C'tari C'tari mew mew, ZeroZeroThree, ILUVTSUKASA, and Zyte, who contributed their OCs for this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 4: _Alliance_**

" Sakura...There's something I want to tell you..."

" What is it, Tsuk?" The woman replied, smiling at her long-time friend.

" I...uh...love you..."

Mimiru sobbed as the man droned on, her eyes locked on the gilded box, it did not hold her beloved...his body lay in a simple, pine box, this was his real funeral, where his friends and love was...this had always been where his heart lay.

" Mimiru." Came the voice of her almost-father, Bear, as he touched her shoulder, " Are you...going to make it through this? Huh?"

She shook her head slightly, that...was impossible...

" No..." He replied, " I know you will...because we both know Tsukasa wants you to..."

He had promised she'd make it through, and, in a way, she had...but then, he left her too, she was all alone now...everyone had abandoned her. She turned to look at the man who had spoke, Sora was standing there, the look on his face was one like Tsukasa might have had, full of compassion, and of love...

He leaned down and his lips were about to touch hers, when she was suddenly sitting bolt-upright in bed, panting heavily.

_What a HORRIBLE dream!...It must have been those silly memories I'd been dwelling on...combined with seeing Sora...that's all...complately meaningless...Sora..._ She thought to herself, trying to calm down.

She wished she could shake the feeling that it was something more, as she picked up the WonderGoggles 3k3, and logged into the world.

Sora sighed as he looked across 'his' field...he seemed to have successfully claimed it, as he was the only one ever there...even before it became locked...not even his beloved Heavy blade was anuwhere to be seen...

He gave a defeated sigh, what could he expect? It was pure foolishness to hope that she would be back...after all..._some_ people had lives...

Suddenly, a woman ringed in, on top of his cliff... Mimiru? No...it was an old friend of his...but...why was she playing, and more importantly, how was she here?

" Miko? Is that you! I thought you'd quit!" He said, surprised.

The woman turned her head towards him, her long black hair, highlighted with red streaks, fanned out behind her from the wind, she closed her eyes as the gust caressed her skin.

" So...it must be..." She whispered absently.

" Must be what?" He asked, confused.

She opened her eyes, and appeared to see him for the first time, " Sora! I...didn't know you were still playing..." She said timidly.

He smirked slightly, she was so easily startled...she had been one of the first girls to give him her address when he'd asked 'politely', and one of the only to go adventuring with him...yet her depressed, timid personality tended to get wearing on his nerves...still...it was nice to see her...

" Miko...what are you doing here?"

" I...thought I'd go somewhere...I knew the wind would blow..."

" But why?"

" I...I better go now..." She said nervously.

" But you just got here!"

She apparently didn't hear him, as she turned around, and gated out anyway.

" Sheesh...wasn't _she_ acting weird..."

" So, you just hang out alone, talking to yourself all day?" Came a familiar voice from behind him.

He spun around quickly, smiling, Mimiru!

" You came back! What ever could have _possessed_ you to do such a thing!" He teased.

She smiled slightly...she was stunning when she smiled, in 'the world' and not..." I heard there was a meeting in Mac Anu, and I wanted to see if you were going."

" Me! Hah!" He laughed, actually, he hadn't heard that...why not check it out, after all? " Maybe Alpha will be there, and we can form a party together..."

" Alpha, hmph." Mimiru grumbled, but she smiled anyways, and said, " Okay, let's group then."

" What? No war before-hand this time?" Sora laughed

When Mimiru warped into Mac Anu, following Sora, she was surprised to see the amount of players wandering through it's beautiful streets...almost enough to make it look like it had when this server had been the main one...with the exception of the missing NPCs...

" Well, let's see what all the commotion's about." Sora said cooly, apparently unsurprised.

Mimiru nodded, and walked up to one of the female characters.

She wall tall, and slight, obviously a wavemaster, by the elaborate robe she wore, and matching staff, she had a thin red line stretching from her ears to the bridge of her nose, at which point, it arked upwards to her hair line., the woman looked towards her, as Mimiru approached.

" What do you want?" She asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

" I don't see many 'oldies' on anymore."

" Leave me alone." She said, and turned to walk away.

" Well, geez! That's awfully rude! You're not even going to tell me your name!"

The woman simply ignored her.

Mimiru's temper snapped, and she ran up to the woman, and spun her around, " _Hey!_ Look here pal! There are rules you have to follow here, same as the real world! You can't just ignore me! When some one asks you your name, you _answer_ them!"

The woman looked at her flatly a moment, " My name is Nereid, of the Azure forest."

" Azure forest? What? Like the Decendants of Fianna?"

The woman just shook her off, and walked away.

" He-hey!...Grrrr...she completely _snubbed_ me! I can't believe it!"

Giving the woman a final glare, Mimiru 'humphed', and turned around to see where Sora was.

He was leaning teasingly into a woman's face, she was reasononably middling height, she had short black hair, almost reaching her chin, she had a simple dark-blue tank top, with matching black pants and undershirt, and she was gripping a beautifully crafted spear so tightly, it was a wonder she didn't snap it in half...in fact, the woman's grey eyes were smoldering with unhidden anger.

Sora smiled slightly, as he leaned into the woman's face, her model was attractive, he would give her that...but the fact that she was mute was a big turn-off...well...at least he finally had a use for the sign-language he'd learned from his deaf aunt!

" Soooo...you think you're pretty tough, huh?"

She frowned at him coldly, refusing to answer him.

" I see...backing out are we?" He chuckled, " That's perfectly normal, since I can't be defeated."

Oh shut up, you pompus idiot! She signed furiously, I don't have to fight you , to know I can anihilate you!

" Right, little girl..." He smirked, " I doubt you understand what you're up against, 'Raven'...since you haven't played in...oh...forever..."

What do you know! You arrogant, _dimwitted_--

" Sora? What are you doing!" He heard Mimiru say suddenly, Sora turned his head towards her, and smiled his most 'innocent' smile, " Why, Mimiru, I was only discussing the Wonder Goggles 3k3.

"_ Y-you too?_" She gasped...was her cheeks coloring slightly?

" What do you mean?" He asked, cocking his head slightly.

" I recently got some...I thought they were CC Corp. promotionals or something..."

_What an odd coincidence...all three ofus at relatively the same time?_

" So...the theory materializes into a pattern..." Came an oddly familiar, and slightly arrogant, voice.

" _Balmung!_" A woman yelled suddenly.

_Balmung? As in the?_ Sora spun on his heel to face the man, sure enoughm he had shoulder-length platnium hair, heavy armor, and large, white, wings

" It is good to see you again, Nereid..." He said, smiling slightly at a strange looking Wavemaster.

" So she _was_ his partner!" Mimiru exclaimed, from beside Sora.

"You've met her?"

" That is beside the point." Balming said cooly, " You see, I too, have recieved the WonderGoggles, as a gift from CC Corp...However, that alone did not re-awaken my interest in this, dying, world...I recieved an anonymous e-mail, not long ago, that said, quote, ' What was once thought defeated, will rise yet again.' I dismissed it as junk at first, but then my friend, Orca, recieved a similar e-mail, saying: ' Who was dead shall return.' No signature, no return-email...nothing, and to top it off...the strange events in the world..."

_Strange events?_

" Like the dungeon whose parameters changed every room?" Nereid asked cooly.

" Yes, that, and the undefeatable creatures' return.."

" I had not heard of the creatures, but I was under the impression the dungeon was a special event?" Came the voice of LostMiko, from behind him...she was here too?

" Yes, the CC Corp. has been spreading that rumor..." Balmung said, " but the truth cannot be denied, what ever malignant force that had once risen up, then quietly disappeared, is back with vengance...sending five people into comas in as many days...all from the older generation..."

" What does this mean to us?" Sora asked cooly, in no mood for heroics...all that ever led to was pain...

" You and Mimiru.." He said crisply..how did he know their names? " Are from the time when this...this 'virus' last struck, correct?"

" So? You think we know something you don't? Tsukasa's not stuck in the game anymore." Mimiru said, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice, suggesting a fate far worse than freedom, for the late wavemaster.

" I know exactly what transpired with your group, as you may remember, I am friends with Subaru, " He said, frowning, " And I am sorry for 'Tsukasa', but this is directly related to those events...and we need everyone's help."

" _Shut-up!_ You're not sorry, you don't know sorrow!" Mimiru snapped, Sora barely suppressed a wince, as he gazed on her tightly frowning face, digital tears threatening to mirror the real ones obviously running down her counterpart's cheeks...it hurt him sorely to see her like that...to be unable to reach out and comfort her...

" Perhaps, but if you care as much for Tsukasa as you claim, you would want his murderer brought to justice...before it gets anyone else." Balmung said bluntly, " You know of the events that transpired just shortly before he fell ill with that mysterious illness, do you not?"

" What are you talking about! He suffered from acute pnemonia!" She spat.

" So they claim, but does that eat away his insides bit-by-bit, until he is only a shell?" Balmung challenged.

" What do you know? You weren't there!" She cried, tears now running freely down her brown cheeks, and no doubt even more so, in reality.

" Of course, he never told you about that strange, taunting e-mail...or the nightmares that preceded it...he logged on in secret to meet with Subaru..."

" What!"

" Yes... he didn't want to upset you, " Balmung said, nodding his head, " He was worried, so he met up with his only other friend, they agreed to meet a week later..but he never came...tell me...he never survived that long...did he? Only a few days shy, so I heard..."

" Wh-what?...I...I don't know!" Mimiru said nervously

" Yes you do! You have to! I f you don't, more and more people will die! It won't end on it's own this time!" Balmung demanded, stepping towards her, " What did he tell you!"

_Ican't handle it anymore...can this blind idiot not tell? What he is saying is tearing her apart!_

In an instant, his blades were against a shocked Balmung's throat.

" Did you not hear her? She doesn't know...now back off!" He growled threateningly.

Balmung stared at him, wide-eyed, a moment, then got a knowing smile on his face, taking a step back, " I see...most interesting.."

_Interesting? Why...if that idiot does one more thing,I will gut him!_

For the moment though, Sora backed off, and glanced towards Mimiru...only she wasn't there.

_Where is she!_

Mimiru sobbed, as she slid down into a corner, in a back alleyway of Mac Anu.

_Tsukasa...couldn't have died normally!..Why not? Why did he have to be attacked and tortured even after he gave up his passion! Why him? Why didn't he tell me? Why couldn' t he have had one completely oblivious, happy moment...?_

_I had it...with you..._ A voice whispered, touching her shoulder, _Now don't cry_ _Sakura, my beloved...I'm right here with you..._

Shocked, she looked up, and saw Sora standing above her, a pained expression on his face.

" Sora?...What did you say?"

" I..." He said, slightly surprised, " Said...it's okay...Bamung's a bloody idiot..."

_But...but, but...I heard...I'm not insane! How...?_

He squatted down beside her, and looked at her seriously, " I...you won't believe me... but I ...know what it's like to lose...someone you love so much, it hurts...to try to make a mockery of life...when everything in you...all that was living...has rotted away..."

Silently, she stared at him a moment_, What...what...could he be saying? Is he...sincere? More than the well-wishers at memorials and funerals...all the same, hollow, meaningless drivel..._

Sobbing, she hugged him tightly, he was the only friend she had left...the only one she could trust with her all...that was so bitterly ironic, she almost laughed...Almost.

" Mimiru..." He said finally, " I..."

" Oh, guys.." A girl's voice called suddenly, causing them to whip their heads around to see who it was, a long haired brunette stood before them, a lost look in her eyes...she had been the one to talk about that strange dungeon...right?

" Balmung and alot of them have forged an alliance, and..."

" I work alone.." Sora said coldly.

He...always had...but... this was something Mimiru knew she had to do...

" I'll join them..."

The woman nodded, and walked away.

" Are you sure you want to?" Sora asked

" Yes. I...need to..."

Sora nodded confidently, " Then it's settled."

" What? " She asked, confused.

" I'll join them...I have an old score to settle with that old Lady..."

_And such...the Twilight Alliance...last alliance of men...was forged_

* * *

AN: What do you think? A little Epitaph-esque line in the end...

So, more importantly, do you people want me to raise the rating of this book? If you feel making it 'R' would inprove this book, tell me, that will shape the form of the entire book from here on out...don't worry though...I have a pretty little curve-ball pitch for the end all set up, and it will remain intact, either way we go...so, it's entirely you, the readers, choice...the quicker you choose, the quicker I can get around to updating this.

And, Torment...is almost all geared up to have ALL chapters up...I need a name for part 3...lol!

Othe .hack stories of mine:

Alone: a tragic story of love...too late...

Torment: The continuation...can the crew move on..?

PT 3(not yet published): As the casulities mount, can the wavemaster and the Long arm come to a truce?

Yusagi Sombermoon


	5. Recruitment

Disclaimer: Yeah..I own .hack....NOT! HEEHAHAHE....err....ahem Tricked ya, huh? 

AN: BEHOLD!! I have not died!!!...Took me long enough, though, here is chapter 5.....I hope this one isn't too cliche, or melancholy.... 

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5:_ Recruitment_**

The girl shivered, as she sat on the grassy hill, looking over the small field. 

What was going?...What was going _on_??? 

Everything had been stranger and stranger, since they had logged in...and found her data messed with. 

She had lost levels...and gained equipment...now suddenly she'd re-met her oldest friend, and even joined an alliance of 'old' players... 

But she couldn't understand why, or how she had done any of it....she had tried to go to Sora's place before...but she had been blocked....now suddenly, she could? 

The formation of the Twilight Alliance the week before...meeting the legendary Balmung for the first time....all of it seemed so vague....so foggy...she couldn't even _begin_ to understand _why_ she had joined....except...she wanted this world to continue....but she was.....so afraid.... 

LostMiko sighed heavily, shaking her head, nothing at all made sense anymore... 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

" So....you want us to recruit _more_?" Sora asked, incredulously. 

" It stands to reason that there are other players in The World under similar circumstances....and we must harness all that we can lay hold of, before many of thier interests in this game wane, once more." Balmung said cooly. 

Mimiru almost flinched as he spoke, noticing how his eyes flickered towards her as he spoke...she had done all she could! 

" Listen, 'lord'...not everyone lives in your little dream world, " Sora replied, annoyance evident in his voice, " We can _try_ to get some people, but I doubt very many people are ready to give up on life yet...._'lord'_ or no." 

" That is true." Balmung nodded, " but nevertheless we must still try." 

With that, he turned around, and walked away, Nereid in tow. 

So...that was it?...Just...run out blindly and recruit? 

And if they failed? 

Mimiru shook her head and sighed, what had she gotten into? 

A hand squeezed her shoulder, and she looked up, Sora nodded slightly, and said, 

" You wanna group, and search together?" 

She smiled slightly, he was always there for her to lean on...he was the last person she would trust....and the last one she _could_.... 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

He frowned slightly, as he looked down at her, she had such a lost look in her eyes.....Mimiru acted more and more like 'Miko everyday..... 

He only wished the was something he could do!! 

" Sora! " She gasped suddenly, and pointed ahead of them. 

When he looked up, he had to do a double take, for a second, he thought he saw Tsukasa talking with the cat character.....but no, it was only a similar-looking wavemaster, speaking to a purple-cat girl....who had a more devious look in her eyes than Tsukasa's 'friend' ever had. 

" They....must be oldies...." Mimiru said softly, as if she, too, had been fooled at first, by the wavemaster's model, " Let's try them....." 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

The woman frowned at her computer screen. 

Very irregular readings......they had began only months ago, but they had already intensified to a point she had previously thought impossible... 

Yet, even more baffling, was the fact that the servers _appeared_ untouched, were one to look on the outside. 

The last time it had been evident.....perhaps Morganna wanted to remain hidden this time......were that so.....then this time could be far worse than the last.... 

But...even taking into account Morganna....these readings....they were physically impossible! 

And yet, the readings were blinking on the screen, right before her eyes.....perhaps....perhaps it was time to enlist the aid of Bith.... 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

" _Ohhhh!!!_ I can't _believe_ it!!!!!!" Mimiru growled, glaring at the female heavy blade's retreating form, " She totally _snubbed_ us!!!" 

" Relax, Mimi....we got four already, and I thought that would be impossible for _Balmung_...." Sora said reasurringly, " You can't win everything....c'mon, lets call it a day." 

She looked up at her tired companion, and couldn't help but smile softly, they had spent all day, scouring the server, and only managed to recruit a paultry four players, Sora's reassurances or no. 

And yet, the recruits were quite interesting.....A cat-like blademaster named Mia, her wavemaster, named Elk....a hyper twin-blade named Natsume, and a strange Long arm named Nuke... they made her feel almost at home again, for the first time since Tsukasa had died.....or maybe that was just Elk..... 

She bit her lip firmly, to hide the sudden onrush of tear that threatened to overwhelm her....and upset Sora, as well. 

" You're tired, too..." Sora said suddenly, " You've worked so hard, you should log out and get some rest...." 

" Nah..." She replied, smiling, she couldn't go back now.... not until she had composed herself again...." We should report to Balmung first...you know how he is...." 

He frowned slightly, he really didn't approve of Balmung, did he? 

_Or is he just protecting me?..._ She wondered silently. 

" Whatever you say, Mi." 

What ever he had become, he'd certainly become more mild over the ten years that had passed......and she decided she liked that change....maybe a little bit.... 

" What? " Sora asked suddenly, a goofy smile on his face. 

Suddenly she realised she was grinning like a silly fool. 

" Nothing, nothing!" She said quickly, surprised at the fact that she had to suppress a giggle. 

" There's something on my face....isn't there?" " No no!" She said, trying to hide the grin that now threatened to split her face wide-open. 

" So then, I would _assume_ the two of you were not playing _around_ all day." Balmung's voice came from nowhere suddenly, icy-cold. 

Her laughs died in her throat, and Sora's embarrassed smile turned into a disapproving frown, that bordered almost on a scowl. 

" I..we didn't goof off!" She stammed quickly, " W-we were just---" " Enough!" Sora snapped suddenly, cutting her off, " We don't have to explain ourselves to _you_." 

Balmung's frown deepened, and he said in a clipped voice, " I trust you were successful?" 

" We recruited fou-" 

" Only four. I see." Balmung said coldly, ignoring any further effort by her to explain. 

" What about _only four_?!" Sora hissed, blades drawn, " You think you did any better??" 

" Hmph." 

" Then you are dissmissed for now." Balmung said, " Tommorrow you shall try harder." 

T..._try harder_??!!!! As if it were _thier fault_ they didn't get 50 people?!!! That was _it!!!!!!_

Angrily, Mimiru stormed off towards the Chaos Gate....she had to cool her head....maybe she could take a walk in the real world....she hadn't done that in a while.....feel the cool breeze on her face...finally be free from the pressure.... 

" Sakura..." Sora called suddenly 

She stiffened, when did he learn her name? 

Irritably, she turned to face him, but the vemonous retort she had prepared was lost to her when she saw his expression.. 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

She consumed his every waking moment....and haunted his dreams.... 

From the scowl that had quickly faded from her face when she looked up at him, he'd obviously slipped up and called her by her true name... 

But....even if he did....he couldn't change the fact that he had to say this... 

" Mi.... when the alliance was forged, and all that chaos was going on.....what I wanted to say to you was...." He started, then swallowed a lump of fear in his throat, " I mean...the other day...I...I had to tell you....I-I mean I wanted to...." 

Her face softened, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and she reached up and touched his cheek softly...her hand was so warm and soft... 

" No....it can't be...." She whispered, shaking her head. 

" I-I..." 

" No.....I-if I....all there will be is more pain!!" She sobbed, " So much pain....I...I can't .....please....I don't want to hurt anymore....." 

He felt suddenly cold, as if he'd been shredded by knives of ice.....his chest ached even to breathe....he had been a fool to even look at her....it could never be....she was forever Tsukasa's....all Sora could do was hurt her more.....he couldn't do that... 

_All I wanted....was to see you smile again....forever this time..._

But that was a child's fantasy.... 

He let his hand drop her arm, and turned around, trying to hide the unusual tears that stung his eyes.....to contain the aching.....he wouldn't let himself fall apart like this!! 

" Sora...." 

Quickly, he gated away to his field, and ran. 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

She stared at her empty monotor in silence a moment, and burst into tears....why did it hurt so much? If she loved Tsukasa...why? Why did it feel like her battered heart had been clenched in a giant fist, and crushed mercilessly???? 

" Help me.....some one please...." She sobbed, taking off her VR and tossing it away from her, " Please....please help me....." 

This time, though...no voice whispered...and no one held her tight.....she had driven away the one person left in this world that had longed to help her.....she was finally....completely alone..... 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

" Mimi...." He whispered, looking up at the huge, simulated moon, " Im sorry.....won't you forgive me?...Please?.....Where are you??" 

He shook his head, fighting away the waves of despare that crashed over him....no....no.....He could never go back now....it would only hurt her.....no matter what he did, all he could ever do was cause her pain....more and more pain.....he couldn't hurt her anymore! _When would it end?!!!_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

" C'mon, you coward!!!" she teased, waving enthusiastically for her beloved. 

" Mimi...it's too big!" He complained, indicating the creek, which had flooded, nearly to the size of a river. 

" Now c'mon! Don't make me tell Bear you didn't make the wedding because you were afraid of a little hop!" 

Tsukasa made a face, and said, " And then he _and_ his son will never let me hear the end of it!! '_Sora_ made it...why couldn't _you_??!' " 

" Yes, and Justin's bride! I can see it now!" She laughed, imitating the woman, " Hiking her dress up and chasing you all across Tokyo--again!" 

" Don't remind me!!" He laughed 

" Well, Come on then!!!" 

" You'll be the death of me--I know it!" He laughed, then took a step back, and charged. 

She looked up, as she opened her eyes.....something was wrong....he was so cold....so pale... 

" Tsukasa!!!!" She screamed, shaking him, " No!! Wake up! _Wake up!!!_" 

She looked up slowly, through her black veil, he was standing a ways from the rest of them, staring at her...sympathy and pain etched on his features.... 

She had to speak to him, she had to go to him... 

She took a step foward, and Bear stepped in front of her, talking reassuringly....she ignored him though....she was watching only him.....he turned and walked away....no! She had to catch him...had to tell him the truth! But...people kept blocking her....Subaru, BT...Balmung....he was dissappearing now...no! Not yet!! Wait!! He had to _wait!!!!!!_

She was running full board now, as the shadows clawed at her, dragging her back....and he faded farther and farther away..... 

In desperation, she gave a final scream. 

"_SORA!!!!!!!!_" 

She gasped as she looked around, she was sitting up, dressed in a light gown, under her blankets...no one was around......no one... 

Not Tsukasa.....not Sora..... 

She had no one.....but.....she had to chase him....she couldn't let him go........she......had....to....

* * *

AN: Gasp What have I done?? Isn't this a Sora Mimiru fic?!! 

/slaps self 

Actually, I hated doing that....it hurt you know, but as Yu Watase says...." I had to!!" 

Will they work through it or not though????0o 

On a side note: Break out the noise-makers! It's a double celebration!! 

1: This book survived it's 5th chapter! ( it was supposed to be 5 chapters) 2: I whupped Skieth in 1 try!!!!!!( Yes! I have avenged Sora!...not really though.....MORGANNA! YOU'RE NEXT!!!!!) 

Sorry there wasn't any new OCs in this chapter....wait for the net one! 

Yusagi Sombermoon 


	6. Hacker

Disclaimer: Don't own .hack 

AN:Fixed some formatting...

Whew! Finally back to work! Finally caught up to all the OCs too ;p Oh yeah, YamiJonouchi...What is LostMiko a priestess of, anyhow:P

* * *

**_Second Chance_**

**Chapter 6:_Hacker_**

"You're late." Balmung said flatly.

For a moment, she was speechless.

_I just got up! What appointment did I miss?_

He looked at her with an unreadable expression a moment, then said cooly, " We shall continue our recruitment today, there are many yet playing who have not been made to understand our cause."

"Where is Sora?..."

He gave her a cold frown, "He is not here, you will travel with LostMiko instead. Perhaps the two of _you_/ will be more productive."

_Productive! It's not as if we are _creating _recruits! We have to find them first!_

"Umm...hi..." Came a timid voice from beside her.

Surprised, Mimiru turned to see who was speaking.

A woman with long black hair gleaming with subtle red highlights, and a dazzling maze of red tatoos across her body stood next to her...LostMiko, Sora's girl.

Mimiru frowned slightly at the thought, _Sora's girl..._

"I-Is something the matter?"

"No..." Mimiru sighed, shaking her head. " Come on girl, let's 'recruit'."

The girl nodded nervously, and accepted Mimiru's invitation to make a party without complaint.

"Miko..." Mimiru said, pausing a moment, " What exactly are you priestess _of_, anyway?"

He sighed, closing the door behind him.

Another hard day of work...Crazy women raving about sad teddy bears, men complaining their 'partner' didn't get their pink flowers while trying their hardest to sound like a woman, only to find out the reason their partner hadn't gotten it was because they hadn't come home yet...A man who said his name read 'in gold letters' when asked how his name read on the card he was using...so many obnoxious women claiming their lives were positively _ruined_ because the funeral arrangement _they_ ordered was skimpy next to their rival's arrangement... besides the calls, his manager was on his neck about not wasting any paperperiod! On top of all that the holidays were coming up and everyone was freaking about handle time, and his rent was overdue, and his pockets were virtually empty and...

_"ARRRRGHHHHH!"_

Trying to compose himself, Sora slumped back into his recliner.

_I need a break...I need The World...but there's no way I can go back there...not right now...maybe not ever..._

Suddenly there was a sharp rap on the door.

Sora groaned and slumped his face into his hands.

_The landlady..._

"You home, Sora?" Came a voice, "C'mon! Your car's here!"

He sat up straight.

That wasn't the landlady...

"Who's there!"

"Why don't you open it and see?" the man outside laughed," We don't have all day!"

_'We'?_

"So...what did you think, sweetheart?" the man asked, smiling.

"It was...interesting..." The woman said, then quickly amended her statement when she caught his crestfallen look," Interesting and fun."

"For reals?" he beamed.

"I think we should do it again some time." she said, smiling at his juvinille expression.

"Alright!" he said, laughing and snapping his fingers triumphantly.

"But, Tominari.." she sighed.

"What?"

"I think I'm late for my concert..."

"Uh...oops..." he mumbled," Sorry..."

Cautiously, Sora opened the door a crack, and peered through.

A well-to-do man stood smiling outside, next to a beautiful young woman wearing glasses. Tragically, she was wheelchair-bound,

_Where haveI seen these two before..._

"Sora! You don't remember us, do you?" the man laughed.

"Kane, he has never actually seen us before." The woman scolded mildly.

That voice...Sora nearly tumbled over backwards when he realized who it was.

"Crim? Subaru! Is that you!"

The man smiled broadly," It's about time you got it!"

"What are you doing here!" Sora exclaimed.

He didn't bother to ask how they knew where he lived...when you're as rich as Kane Jinzo, you don't _need_ directions.

"We got word that you were down, so we thought we'd come cheer you up." Subaru answered, smiling.

Sora had a sneaking suspicion that they were not here _just_ to cheer him up.

"And you expect me to let you in, I suppose?"

Mimiru sighed as she stood at the Chaos Gate with LostMiko beside.

_I should just log out now...there's no reason to endure more of Balmung's ire...we can't _control_ who logs in and not! It's not our fault we couldn't recruit anyone!_

Firmly, she cut herself short and stood up straight. She could never make it through Balmung's berating if she was already copping pleas to herself.

"Tell me your count." Came the ice-cold voice of Balmung from out of nowhere.

In spite of herself, Mimiru jumped.

_How could he just come up out of nowhere like that?_

Composing herself once more, she nervously brought her eyes up to meet his chilling gaze.

Neried, equally as cool, stood mere inches behind him, arms crossed haughtily.

"We...were unable to find any recruits..."

"That is unacceptable." He cut in curtly, " My partner and I garnered three recruits."

"Maybe those were the _only_ ones on."

"Absurd." He replied flatly," You are not carrying your weight in this alliance, if you will provide no aid"

"Don't you _threaten_ me! We did our best!" She snapped without thinking.

The flat look he gave her in response was harsher than any glare.

_Darn it, girl! Control yourself!_

"Your 'best' was obviously not enough." He said dismissively. "You will try the newer servers next time."

He made his statement a command, and he apparently could not comprehend anyone disobeying it.

"Whatever..."

"That is all. You may log out now." He said, then walked away.

She sighed, and slumped to her knees against the wall, drained.

She smiled weakly to herself, _That was the best I've handled myself yet! I didn't even cry!_

Watching Balmung's retreating form, she sighed heavily.

_Sora...Where are you...?_

Perhaps she wouldn't get away without any tears this time, either.

"I knew I should have just closed the door and locked it when I saw you guys." He said, sinking back further into his recliner, wishing he could disappear.

"I thought you'd be more mature now, Sora..." Crim admonished," To get so caught up in a childish love affair and go sulk like this?"

"I understand it hurts." The woman who played Subaru said," but there is a better way to deal with this...you need to go face it."

"Just stop..." Sora groaned, shaking his head," I don't know how you got this information, but I don't need a lecture from you guys, I can handle my own problems."

"Hah, whatever you say." Crim shrugged, " But I think your 'Twilight Alliance' might want to know something..."

"It's not 'mine'." he cut in irritably.

"That's beside the point, Sora." Crim said cooly," The point is, I found a hacker who might be willing to help you."

"Who, Helba?" Sora scoffed.

"No, she quit some time ago." Crim replied dismissively," Her name is Hiraio."

Mimiru sighed as she laid back on her bed, it was a single-person bed now...she couldn't bear having the one that her beloved had died in.

The day had been a long one, she had waited until ten O'clock but Sora had never logged onto the world.

That coupled with Balmung's browbeating had been extremely stressful.

_Maybe I need to talk with Subaru again..._

She jumped in surprise, as the phone rang suddenly.

_Can Subaru read my thoughts!_

Composing herself, she picked up the phone.

"So...you up for a midnight dungeon adventure?"

_That voice..._

"_Sora_!"

"Hey."

"Where _were_ you! I needed you today!"

There was an uncomfortable pause, before he finally replied.

"...I'm sorry, Mi...I had guests."

"Well...let's do it then."

"I'll be there in five, will meet you in Mac Anu."

"Got it."

"Oh, and Mi?"

"What?"

"You gonna play in your nightgown?"

"_Sora!_"

Despite herself, she laughed along with him as she put down the reciever and headed towards the CPU.

She smiled softly, _It's been too long since I really had fun..._

* * *

AN: YAAAY! I updated! Don't you fret about all those 'recruits' Balmung's getting...you'll meet em all soon enough...D 

Yusagi Sombermoon


	7. Troubled Alliance

Disclaimer: Don't own .hack

AN: Hey, it's only been a few months...but no new OCs to play with, hm...well...look out for some mush in this chapter! >. ;

I better reply to my reviews now, huh?

Zyte: Who knows...she could be Raven's hacker friend...XD

Yami: I see! Well, I hope you don't mind what I'm doing with your poor little girl...sorry, but the stupid editing thing cuts out Lost Miko's underscore...and it's rated M now, because it's upper PG-13...>.>

MortalSora:Thanks! And you're welcome to make a character anytime ya please.

Sansosuke: Wow...I'm very flattered

Someone2003:Thanks...now i have to beat this freak Magus...and I'll be one step closer to saving Sora!

C'tari: Where is the Neried pic?

* * *

_Second Chance_

**Chapter 7: _Troubled Alliance_**

"This is great!"

"Indeed! Onward, fellow adventurer!" The heavy axe-man bellowed.

"Whoo-hoo!" the long arm cheered, racing up to claim the treasure.

"Aren't we supposed to be _doing _something? Remind me again why I rejoined this game?" A femal long arm, with blonde hair and a permanent scowl, sighed, leaning against the dungeon wall.

"Probably because you got those cool WonderGoggles, too!" thepink haired man said.

"That's right...what about the huge conspiracy?" The woman said, "Did 'The great Balmung' forget about that with his new girlfriend?"

"Perhaps he has been detained forquestioning by our enemies!' The axemanput in.

"Interesting imagination, Piros..." the woman laughed. "But thequestion is, who _are _our enemies?"

"Err...I don't thinkBalmung-san said..." the long arm shrugged.

"Exactly. We don't even know what we're fighting!" The woman insisted. "I don't even know why I _bothered _to join this TwilightAlliance in the first place!"

"You wish to know with whom you shall shortly be battlingg for your lives?" Came a cold voice from behindthem.

"Wh-Who are you?"

As she glided out of the shadows, the graphics around her character warped and fizzed. Long violet gown...crimson hair, mismatched eyes devoid of pupils...wicked-looking impossible blades...red-and-purple wings...

"A hacker..."

A small smirk played across her lips. "So very astute...is _that _the word youpeoplewould use?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Hiraio?"

"Yeah...Crim told me she's supposed to be even better than Helba..."

"You mean more notorious?"

"Not quite..." The twin blade said, shaking his head. "She certainly hasn't worked on such agrand scale...but I was told she doesn't think that big..."

"So? What is she to us?"

"Well, since Helba quit, we _do _need a new hacker."

"But don't forget Balmung's phobia of all things 'abnormal'."

"Under the circumstances, I'd think he'd have changed his mind by now."

"_But..._" she pressed, sensing the apprehension in his voice.

"Well...she's not exactly as 'white' as Helba..." He shrugged. "Actually, the title 'Queen of darkness' is much more fitting for her than Helba."

"Oh, how quaint."

"But she's the only thing we have right now..."

"I fail to see Balmung following your reasoning."

He snorted violently. "Who cares? If he doesn't wanna, we can leave!"

"Sora, we don't have the--"

"I don't see why you joined up with him at all!"

"Hmph, You're one to talk! You joined, too!"

He frowned and looked down at her from his perch on a low-hanging rock outcropping. "I...was following you..."

She looked away as quickly as she felt her cheeks grow hot. "That doesn't sound like you!"

His serious frown melted away, and he leaned back, resting his head on his arms as she looked up at the sky. "Well...I was bored...nothing to _do _here anymore!"

"I don't know...I had fun today..."

"...so did I..."

The smile blossoming across her face was ruined by a long yawn.

"What was that about 'fun'?" Sora giggled.

"Oh, shutup! It's 3AM over here!" she snapped, waving her fist at him. "I'm exhausted, and I want to go to sleep!"

He leaned forward suddenly, wish a devilish grin. "Ooohh..does that mean you _are _wearing a nightgown, Mimiru?"

"I'm not going to tell _you! _"

"Ohh...what color is it?"

"_SORA!"_

With something similar to a cackle, Sora leapt off the rock, and pinned her to a tree, blades dangerously close to her neck.

"Come one...tell me, _tell me!_"

"No way! I might give you my member address...but I ain't telling you what I'm _wearing_!"

She gasped in shock as he placed a partially gloved hand on her exposed abdomen.

"Shall I find out for myself, then?"

"S-Sora..._stop _it!"

She gave an involuntary shiver as his hand slipped upward, his breath drawing closer to her neck.

_No! This can't be happening!_

"S-Sora--"

"Shh." He whispered, placing a finger over her lips. "You really _do _talk too much..."

Her vision was hazy as he moved to replace his fingers with his lips, and she felt herself falling into his arms.

But...

Behind him...a young woman with a myriad of red tattoos lacing across her figure...black and red hair...

"L-lost Miko?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

He spun around instantsly as he heard her words.

Wide, hurt eyes stared up at him, her lower lip trembling as she stood rooted in place, shivering.

"M-Miko?"

"Ah-I-I-I..." She stuttered, looking away from him. "I-I'm sorry I interrupted you!"

"Miko!"

But it was too late, the young woman raced out of sight before he could even form a sentence.

_I don't...understand..._

He looked back toward Mimiru for an explanation, but she, too, had disappeared.

"Mi..miru?"

_Gone...again..._

With a growl, he slammed his fist into the tree where Mimiru had previously been.

"Why won't you just stay and _listen _once in awhile!"

**CH end**

**

* * *

**

AN: yawn lots of dialogue this time...but the pace _will _be picking up!

And _what _am I doing to poor Lost Miko?

Well...get ready for Newbs! cause they're a comin'!


End file.
